Transmission mechanism.



F. T. ADAMS. mwsmxssxom MECHANISM. APPUCATION FILED MAR. 3||1916- RENEWEDAUG. 30-1917. 1,242,106. Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET! Mlilliii? F. T. ADAMS.,

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3|. 19I6- RENEWED AUG. 30.1917.

1,242, 106, Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' useful Improvements in Transmission Mech-.

FREDERICK THOMAS Anniusgor .vAnooUvEn, BnIrrsrrIcoLU B'rn, onivanii.

' TRAjNfSMI$SION mnemimsm.

' reqifi ien of m rs ate itiratenteiizoetiai, 1917;.

- Application. filed March 31, 1916,- Seria/1. No. 88,019. iReneweQd-L'wgu'st 3!),4917. LSei i'bl No.- 1 89,0 12.f,

To all whom itmag concern: y I

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ZT-HGMAS AnAMs, a subject of' theyliing of Grea-t Britain, and a resident of the city of Van? couver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and anism, of which the'followingisspecificar tion.

My invention relates to improvements in' transmission mechanism, and the object of my invention is .to .devise an.

efficient mechanism for :transmitting-:mo tion from one shaft .to another, .such as in the driveqof an. automobile, which mechanism is smooth and flexible in operation, working without .jar, is adapted to act as aclutch andtransmission gearcombined, andiscapable of/drivingthe driven shaft at variable speeds at the will of the operator withoutzvarying thenormal speed of the. driving shaft. A further-objectis to devise a transmission mechanism by means of which-the driven shaft maybe rotated in eitherdirection in a simple prac tical manner. 7 i

I attain these objects by the'construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure lisa sideelevation of the device,

a in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a view of the eccentric shaft. Fig. 3 is'a transverse section of. the device on the line a-b of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a face view-of thestartingjaws;

.Fig. 5 is a fragmentary viewshowingthe means for holding the gear case stationary.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a doubleeccentrio strap.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a single eccentric strap.

Fig. 8 1s a view showinga POI'tIOILOf'thB reversing-ring.

Similar figures of .reference indicate similar pa'rtszthroughout theseveral views.

1 indicates a casing having end flanges 2 and 3 provided with concentricbores fortning bearings 4 and v5, and held together by four studs 6. Mounted in bearing his the driven shaft.7,to the innerendof which is secured .the gear 8', while-mounted in hearing 5 .is-a :hollow shaft 9, the inner extremity of which is reduced to fit rotatably .in a bore 10 provided in :the'

inner end :of shaft 7, as shown, its outer extremity being. internally threaded as at 91 to receivethe main (not shown).

This hollow.v shaft 9 .extends outwardly through. bearing 5 :and :is rotatablywsup ported ..infth'ebearings 11 :and1=.'-1'2,;and formed integrally o'ntthe: shaft ra't suitable points and Y diametrically opposite to; each other are .offset portions formi .;as it were, eccentrics 18 :and .114, .2 in which eccen trics a'resforme'd the slotsuloandg ltig-has shown in Fig. 1. A concentric plain. por= tion '17 is provided between 'theaeccentric's and which 'runs in aibearing r18 carriedf'by the platemember 19,: the rim;of thebear-ing 18 1 being threaded so that lit may be rig-idly secured to the plate. 19 by;mean's. :of. the

nut .20. Formed "onshafti 9::at the' oute-rtienid I ofthe e-ccentrics213..and iluare rightvandleft :hand externally ithreade'd portions 21 andi22 respectively, on Iwhich'are .mounted the disks 23 and..24,-of;suitable diameter,

so that it =Jwi1lxbe seen, :referring :particu.

and 34' respectively, which gearsi mesh with the. gear 8 of. the shaft :7. Onith'e periphery of each. sleeve; are formed two sets offatche't shaped teeth 35 :and 36, the teeth facing inone direction, .as 'shOXvn-iniFigQ 3, while. the teeth 36-xiface in'the 011- posite direction. The :sets i of fteeth are 1' arranged in pairs, that is, "sets 3 35 .and

of sleeves .27 and 80 are adj acent aheirrespective gears .and :in alin'em'ent with each other, while sets :35 :and 36 a of 1-sleeves .28

and '29 areadjacentthe; ends' remote from the gears, and sin alinement with each.- other;

The respective sleeves, while: ibeing rotata-i bly mounted on sthestudsfigmre: also .r'ota'tably carried .in the'bus'hings-37, which are carriedsby plate member :19, each being rigidly secured thereto'by means ofauiut'38.

39 and 40 indicate circulariblock.inembers each provided with a longitudinal slot by means of avhich they mayb'e slirlably mounted on the eccentrics .of shaft l9 being mounted on eccentric 113,- as-shown more particularly in F1g'. 3,-;and 40 on ec centric i1 1. Noimall'yltheiblocks 39' and 40 are concentric with shaftFQ, but the slots 41 are made llonger thari-zthethrow of the.

eccentrics 13 and 14, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the blocks may be moved to become eccentric to shaft 9, when required, as more fully hereinafter described, and for the purpose of assisting the return of the blocks;

- 43 is provided, which shaft is slidably mounted for inward :and outward movement in the bore 44 of the hollow shaft: 9, and at suitable points on its periphery there are formed tapering grooves 44 and 45, V in which grooves are fitted levers 4'6 and 47 respectively, which levers pass. through'the slots 15 and'l6 of'eccentrics 13 and 14,'their upper ends being shaped out tobear on bar members 48 and 49 respectively secured into 7 blocks 39 and 40 respectively,; and their lower ends being rounded. to fit the rounded portions 50 and .51 at each end of the grooves 44 and 45, when the rod43 is in full in or the .full out position. It will thus be seen that, if the rod 43 be moved inwardly from its full but position, as shown in Fig. 1, the levers 46 and 47 will be straightened out and, when the rod is in its full in position, they will assume a vertical position, and therefore the blocks 39 and 40 will be carried. out of their concentric positions to become eccentric to shaft 9, their travel varying accordingto the inclination of levers 46 and 47. Y

Mounted on block member 39 is a double eccentric strap 52,'shown inFig. 6, the double strap being/carried at each, end of the block leaving a bearing portion therebetween on which is mounted a single eccen tric strap 53, as shown in Fig. 7, the assembled position of the straps being shown in Fig. 1. Each of these straps 52 and 53carries a jaw member 54 and 55 respectively, fitting slidably the guideway 25 and'straddling respectlvelyfthe sleeves '29- and 28 The jaw member 54 is provided with two pairs of spring-pressed pawls slidably mounted in bushings '56, one pair, 57 and 58, being arranged asshown in Fig. 3: and adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 35 of sleeve 29, the other pair, one of which is indicated dotted in Fig.1, as at 59, being arranged reversefrom 57 and 58, and adapted to ride on the plain portion 60 between the two sets of ratchet teeth when 57 and 58 are in engagement with teeth 35 and to engage the reverse setof teeth 36 when the sleeve is slid longitudinally, as hereinafter described, thepawls 57 and 58 then being thrown out of engagement with teeth35 to ride on the periphery. of the sleeve, Similarly the jaw member 55 is provided with two pairs of spring-pressed pawls adapted to cotiperate with the ratchet teeth and '36 of sleeve 28.

i In a like manner to that just described a double eccentric strap 61 and a single eccentric strap 62 are mounted on block 40, each strap being provided respectively with jaw members 63 and 64 straddlingtheir respective sleeves 27 and 30, each jaw member being provided with two pairs of springpressed pawls similar to 57. and 58 adapted to cotiperate as'described'with the ratchet teeth 35 and 36 of their respective sleeves 272L11Cl30; r I

1 65 indicates an externally threaded nut or sleeve slidably mounted on shaft 9 and 66 and 67 indicate a pair of jaws or tong-like members pivotally mounted on and movable with a shaft 68, which shaft isslidably mounted in bearings 69 and 70and may be moved backward or forward by means" of the suitable fulcrumed hand lever 71 con 74 and are hung'so that their inner faces, which are threaded correspondingly to the;

nut 65, are held'normally closed in front and in way of the nut by means of. spring 92 but open out to clear the nut when downward pressure is exerted on the pedal. It will thus be apparent that the members 66 and 67 may be moved along the nut to grip same at any point in its length. ihe nut 65 is secured to the rod 43 by means of a cot ter 75 which passes through the nut, the hollow shaft 9, and the rod43so that they all rotate together. 7 in F ig; 1, is provided in the shaft 9 to al low for the travel of the cotter-75 as the nut 65 moves along the shaft, as more fully hereinafter described,..and. 77 indicates a spring for returning the nut to the normal position shown in' Fig. 1.- v 2 Each sleeve gcar'3l, 32, 33 and 34 is pro vided with a collar, indicated by the nu meral 7 8 in Fig.1, over which collar a ring 79 is engaged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, and. whichiring is connected by means of bolts 80 passing through flange 2 to a slidingsleeve 81 mounted on hearing 4 and operated by a hand lever 82 fulcrumed on a suitable bracket or stand'83. This sleeve is oonnected to lever 82 by means of a band 84 in which it is rotatable, after the style of the well-knownclutch shifting gear, so that the sleevemay either rotate, or slide, on the bearing 4, the slidingmovement of the sleeve also moving gears 31, 32, 33 and 34 to throw the respective sets of ratchet teeth 35 and 36 into or out of engagement-with their respective pawls. 1

In order to prevent the casing 1 from rotating untilthe driven shaft 7 reaches its maximum speed a circular rack member 85 A slot 7 6 indicated dotted gzezgroe is secured: to fia'ngevQkas shown iii-"Figil, with whichra'ck cooperate:pawls'86' and 87, wh-icln pawls I are zpivotallyr mounted at: the upper end "of-.bracl'ret' 83, and may be lifted out of, oridropped into, engagement with the rac-lrSSpby anyw suitablemanually op; erate'd meansr'led from a 1 suitable location and connected: to i holes :87 1 and 88 in the arm's-SQ-and 9030f the pawls. I I

The mannernin which the device operates is as follows :-lVhen: it is desired-to drive shaft. 7; sayiatr :its maximum speed,' the operator presses down on theufootzapedal .74, thus i'open.ing-out jaws GG and 67; which may then bem'ove'd: backward along the nut bymeans of' lever'71.'-, When the jaws are brought to the: desired 'positi'onyithe pres sure-l on the foot pedalis relieved','- where-j upon the spring .92 forces thejaws inwardly and closes them on therthreaded.peripheryof the nut'at the rear en'd thereof, 'thethrea'ds of the jaws engaging-on the threads: of the 2 nut, whereupon thenut, which is revolving with the hollow shaft 9',awill-screw itself back ward out'of theijaws 661 and 67', thus. moving rod 4-3 inward and-carryinglevers d6 andd? into arverticalposition to'move t'hetblocks 89 and 40. :from: their concentric positions to their :full eccentric positions with relation to shaft Thus a travel-is imparted tothe jaws ofthe'several eccentric straps aeachof which, on its inward and outward .-m'ove-' ments, and by means ';of its "spring pressed pawls, .hereinbefore describedgz:partially rofates its respective sleeveand the gear thereon, the partialx-rotation of which gears, one

aftemthe other eflects the complete rotation of' the gear 8 andushaftii; which willpthen revolve at the; samesspeed asz:the driving shaft, the entire me'chanism including: the casing then rotating with the shafts.

WVhen it is desired to drive shaft 7 at a,

lower speed :than: that'of .t'hewdriving shaft the operator :Inoves the jaws -66esand T67 backward along the DUlTLELIlCl .closes-them thereoiratvthe desired point in its-length, whereupon the' nutwill screw'itself-out of the jaws as before; i It will be seen,= :howeverrthat if theajaws are; closed mm the nut: at;:say; a a quarter :of.its-1ength,= the nut 5 'Willnonly travel backward that amount, the

rod 43 moving inward; and the levers-46- and- 47 stra1ghten1nga out, a corresponding amount, and therefore the travelof the sev-= cral eccentrics andwtheamount of partial rotation of the sleeve gears: effected thereby w ill-be correspondingly decreased thus redu'cingalsothespeed of shaft 7. Accordingly it will be, apparent that the speed of i the driven shaft 7: mayberegulated from the; highest speed of the driving shaft through any lower speeds, according. tothe 'posit'ion at which-the jaws 66' andx67 arev closed'on the nut 65. It may be mentioned that the length of the nut-equalsthe [11112 throw ofnthe eccentrics: so that atione-half the nut travel the eccentrics are working at I half'throwand. so on. g

. The *nut is held 111 its backward positlons by means of the jaws: 6 6 and 67 i which are 1 closed in front of it, the aws bein opened out, wlien -equirecl by any approved means,

such 1 as: spring "92, a to: permit the returnfof one arrangement-bf pawlsandwratchet teeth effects the rotation iOf' shaft 7x11150116 direce tion, a: reversed "arrangement Ewill effect. its rotation in the opposite direction,

Atzlower spee'd'sofishaft 7 than theiiha'izimum the brake. ipressurewthereon tends to hold" the; shaft from being rotated by [the sleeve gears which would: revolve :around gear 8 ifnthey :were' free todo-iso and} carry the casingJaround-with them; but this is prevented ;by means of the "pawls 86 and :87,

one: of which is dropped; into: engagement; with" rack f85 'accordin-g to the direction of rotationof: the shaft, so :that the casing-can not :turn and.thus' thecsleeve gears 'c'oiiperate eflicientlyuon gear 8i-at v lower speeds than the maximum. lVhen themaximumispeed is reached, it; is not-=;necessary 'to; hold the casing; and: the ypaZwl v@is lifted out of the racln so that the-ncasinggmaybe; free to re volve ;-as it isldesirablethatTitvshould do so; :and in order to accomplish this-result; it maywbestated :that the eccentrics; hereinbefore described; are designed; when out to ;their ,ful-l-throw, to give a longer! stroke thanris|allowed for in thejawwmembers for the effecting :of: :the revolving of the sleeves, from whichit will be apparent. that,-when thelevers 46 and A7, are straightened out to their fullest'extentythe bottom of thetwoc opposite -j aw menu-hers" 5 l 63 or '556 l,accordingto whicheverpa-ir is in position atithe moment, will bezpressedagainst thepeniph,

eryrof; their respective sleeves, thusvlockin'g,

the jaw-members and-the; sleeves together, as it will be apparent that-the blocks 39: and 40 cannottravel' ovenithe CGIltGIYWhGD; the respective-levers 4 63 and 47 iare full out, and therefore the blocks will cease "to" rotate,

whereupon the Whole-mechanism, including central gear, and mechanism adapted for engagement with the power shaft for i111- parting' intermittent partial rotary motion to each of the said gears whereby complete rotation of the central gear is effected, said mechanism including ayoked member coacting with each of the plurality of gears. 2. In transmission mechanism, the combination with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably mounted parallel with said shafts, each said sleeve being provided with a gear engaging the central gear, and mechanism adapted for engagement with the power shaft for imparting. intermittent partial rotary motion to each said sleeve whereby complete'rotation of the central gear is efiected, said I'HGCl'lZIIllSIIl' including a yoked member coacting with each of the plurality of sleeves, and an interiorly projecting pawl carried by each leg ofthe yoke.

'3. In transmission mechanism, the combination with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably and slidably mounted parallel with said shafts, each said sleeve being provided with an in- V tegral gear engaging the centralgear, mechanism adapted for engagement with the power shaft for imparting intermittent partial rotary motion to each said sleeve whereby complete rotation-of the central gear is efi'ected, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of saidsleeves.

4. In transmission mechanism, the'combr nation with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably mounted parallel. with the said shafts, each'said sleeve being provided with an integral gear;

engaging the central gear and having on itsperiphery a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged circularly equidistant from each s other, a shaft adapted for engagement with opposite sides thereof, and means for impartmg eccentricity to said straps.

5. In transmission mechanism, the combination with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably mount- II ed parallel with the said shafts, each said sleeve being provided withan integral. gear engaging the central gear and'having on its periphery a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged circularly equi-distant from each other, a shaft adapted for engagement with the power shaft and having diametrically opposed eccentric portions formed thereon, a strap for each sleeve mounted concentrically on the said eccentric portions, each said strap having jaws adapted to straddle its respective sleeve, pawls carried by said jaws arranged inversely to each other and adapted to normally engage the ratchet teeth of their respective sleeve on opposite sides thereof, means for imparting eccentricity to said straps, and means for prede termining and varying the amountgofeccentricity imparted.

6; In transmission mechanism, the combination with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed tothe driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves i-otatably mount ed parallel with-said shafts, each said sleeve beingprovided with an integral gear engag= ,ing the central gearland having on its periphery a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged circularly equi-distant from each other, a

shaft adapted for, engagement with the power shaft and having diametrically opposed eccentric portions formed thereon,za block for each pair of sleeves mounted concentrically on each eccentric portion, a strap for each sleeve, said straps being mounted in pairs on each said block, each saidstrap having jaws adapted to straddle its respecs tive sleeve,-pawls carried by said aws .arranged inversely to each other and adapted to normally engage the ratchet teeth of their respective sleeve on opposite sides thereof, and means for imparting variable amounts of eccentricity to the said blocks.

7. .In transmission mechanism, the combi-- nation with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves mummy:

mounted parallel with said shafts, each said sleeve being provided with an .in-

tegra'l gear engaging the central gear.

and having on its periphery a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged circularly equi-distant from each other, a hollow shaft adapted for engagement with the power shaft and having diametrically opposed slotted eccen tric portions formed thereon, a block member for each pair of sleeves mounted concentrically on the said eccentric portions, a strap for each sleeve, said straps being mounted in pairs on each said block'member,

each said strap having jaws adapted to straddle its respective sleeve, pawls carried bysaid jaws arranged inversely to each other and normally engaging the ratchet teeth of their respective sleeve on opposite sides thereof, a rod mounted forinward and outward movement in the bore of the hollow shaft and provided with tapei'ing'slots equal in number to the block members formed in tliebo dy thereof, a lever for each block member, each said lever extending at an angle between its respective tapering slot in the rodand the block member its lower end normally resting inthe deep portion of the slot, and means for moving the-saidrod inwardly so as tostraightenouttsaid levers and impartaeccentricity to thesaid block members. I T g 8. In transmission mechanism, -the;eom bination with a power shaft and adriven shaft, of 'a central ,gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably mounted parallel-swith said shafts, each said sleeve being provided with an integralgear engaging the central gear and having on its periphery a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged circularly equi-distant from each other, a hollow shaft adapted for engagement with the power shaft and having diametrically opposed slotted eccentric portions formed thereon, a block member for each pair of sleeves mounted concentrically on the said eccentric portions, a strap for each sleeve, said straps being mounted in pairs on each said block member, each said strap having jaws adapted to straddle its respective sleeve, pawls carried by said jaws arranged inversely to each other and normally engaging the ratchet teeth of their respective sleeve on opposite sides thereof, a rod mounted for inward and outward movement in the bore of the hollow shaft, and provided with tapering slots equal in number to the block members formed in the body thereof, a lever for each block member, each said lever extending at an angle between its respective tapering slot in the rod and the block member its lower end normally resting in the deep portion of the slot, an externally threaded nut mounted for slidable movement on the hollow shaft and engaged thereto and to the said rod to simultaneously rotate therewith, and manually operated internally threaded gripping means adapted to grip the nut at any point in its length, the threads of the nut and gripping means being clesigned so that the nut willv unscrew out of the gripping means when engaged thereby.

9. In transmission mechanism, the combination with a power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of sleeves rotatably and slidably mounted parallel with said shafts, each said sleeve being provided with an integral gear engaging the central gear and having on its periphery two sets of ratchet teeth arranged circularly, one set being re-' verse to the other, a shaft adapted for en gagement with the power shaft and having diametrically opposed eccentric portions formed thereon, straps equal in number to the sleeves mounted concentrically on said eccentric portions, each strap having jaws adapted to straddle its respective sleeve, a pair of pawls for each set of teeth carried by said jaws, the pawls in each pair being arranged inversely to each other and adapted to engage the sleeve on opposite; sides thereof, one :pair being reverse to the: other and adapted to. cooperate with the: reverse set-of teeth, means for moving either set; of: teeth into or out:of' engagement with-its respective pair tofupawlsyandi means for -;imparting; eccentricityato said straps, i i 1-0.v In transmission: mechanism, the combination gwithia power shaft and a driven shaft, of a casing into which the driven 1 =shaftextendsa central geari fixed to *"the d=riven"shaft, a plurality of gears carried by mechanism adapted for engagement with the power shaft for imparting intermittent partial rotary motion to each said gear whereby complete rotation of the central gear is effected, and means for holding the casing against rotation at lower speeds of the driven shaft than the maximum, said means being adapted to permit rotation of said casing when the maximum speed of the driven shaft is reached.

12. In transmission mechanism, the combination Witha power shaft and a driven shaft, of a central gear fixed to the driven shaft, a plurality of gears engaging the cen tral gear, and mechanism adapted for engagement with the power shaft for imparting intermittent partial rotary motion to each of the said gears at lower speeds than the maximum, said mechanism being adapted to lock said gears and prevent the said intermittent partial rotary motion thereof at the maximum speed.

18. In a transmission mechanism, the combination with the power shaft and driven shaft, of transmission gears interposed between the power shaft and driven shaft, means adjustable radially for transmitting the drive from the power shaft to the gears to vary thespeed, means adjustable axially of the power shaft for producing such radial adjustment, an externally threaded rotating member connected to the axially adjustable means, a correspondingly threaded swinging tween the power shaft and driven shaft, means adjustable radially for transmitting the drive from the power shaft to the gears to vary the speed, means adjustable axially of the power shaft for producing such radial adjustment, an externally vthreaded rotating member connected to the axially adjustable means, a correspondingly threaded swinging and relatively stationary member, means for throwing the thread of the swinging member into contact With the threadof the externally threaded member, and means for adjusting the stationary position of the swinging member longitudinally of the ex ternally threaded member. I

Dated at Vancouver, B. 0., this 21st day of ll/Iarch, 1916.

FREDERICK THOMAS ADAMS.

Gopiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,' Washington, D. G. i 

